Melbourne, Melbourne, it's a wonderful town....
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I've always said I'm a walking contradiction.
Frankly, it's becoming a bore. Im born on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn - two diametrically opposed personalities throwing martini glasses at each other from across the room.
But really, I'm much more grounded than that.
I worked hospitality for seven years but am an aspiring designer currently cutting his teeth in an architecture and interiors firm.
If I don't have your number on my phone I wont answer it.
If you call me after midnight I automatically assume someone has died. It's happened before.
I don't feel like dancing. I just want to get dressed in my coat, eyeliner and drink my martini while gossiping about the little people. Takes one to know one after all.
I'm easily distracted by shiny things, Hugo Boss shoes and architecture books. I nearly cried at the death of my favorite jeans, again with the near death of the next pair. Who becomes emotionally attached to jeans? I had 14721 songs on my ipod, and it is now below layers of freshly fallen snow on Mt Buller. Thank god for a credit card and late night JB-Hifi. I may have no cash, but I can spend a fortune on credit. You taught me well Alexxx.
I may not look it but yes, I am paying attention. My reflections cracked and looking back I'm so unrecognizable. And according to the what Muppet Are You quiz.. I'm Rowlf. You are a calm and quiet person, but this does not mean you are overlooked. You are easy going and a fan of the finer things in life. Your artistic flare, leads you to appreciate the arts, especially music! People are drawn to you and enjoy your sense of style. Your hospitality is flawless as you love entertaining friends...
And on that note I am going now. Don't say I didn't warn you.
52 Breakfasts
3 - Albert St Food & Wine - 28th January 2012 - We actually arrived just past breakfast cut off (boo) so had lunch. Albert St steak tartare, sardines on grilled bread with capers, currants and pine nuts, and the Albert St special - pizza with roasted peppers, pork and fennel sausage and mozzarella. Service started off slow, but became much more attentive. Food was delicious and I would definitely recommend going back and grazing through the menu. The wine store adjacent has a great selection of local and international wines for (I think) very reasonable prices. Definitely one to check out.
4 - Pope Joan - 4th February 2012 - A beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Brunswick, Bradley and I jumped on our bikes and headed off to Pope Joan’s on Nicholson Street. We got there very late morning so the place was heaving, but managed to snag a table right down the very back in between fresh herbs, apple trees and other assorted bits and pieces. Poached eggs and falafels with zucchini, parsley and pinenuts, with a generous service of spiced tomato aioli. Adam says delish.
5 - Jellystone - 5th February 2012 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Jellystone was one of those places I walked past again and again and assumed was just a young family, child friendly establishment and didn’t give it a second thought. Oh the times I wasted! I’ve been back half a dozen times and alway have a great meal. I woke up this morning craving their middle eastern eggs with thick cut sourdough, beetroot hummus, rocket and dukkah. The dukkah today was a bit… bland… but still the meal was delicious. We had to wait a while for our breakfast but were told that straight up so no fuss. The old sand pit out the back is gone (previously a bit family draw card) but is really of no concern to me. I had my coffee, my paper and my eggs. What else do you want on a Sunday?
6 - Tom Phat - 18th February 2012 - Tell me this, Tumblr, how often do you have the chance to eat a pork chop for breakfast? Tom Phat is a quirky vietnamese cum breakfast cum lunch cum night spot which dishes up delicious Aussie x vietnamese fusion food. On this occasion though, both Bradley and I ordered something a little more standard from their simple menu - wok fried eggs with roti, bacon and a sweet tomato chutney / salsa. The meal was so big both Bradley and I left some - but not by choice! Coffee was the usual $4 for a soy latte but service was prompt, food delicious and company good so we’ll let that one slide :)
Image above courtesy of breakfastout.com.au
7 - East Brunswick Project - 19th Feb 2012 - The kids at Padre have been making superb coffee at The East for quite a while now. When in doubt, it is my default place to get a coffee at on a Sunday morning, which is exactly what Brad and I did. We were driving down to Mornington so decided to quickly grab a bite to eat. I grabbed my usual savoury muffin and the other half a bear claw. Sweet, savoury and delicious coffee are a match made in heaven.
Breakfast and resolutions
I’m not one for New Years Resolutions. Last year my ‘resolution’ was to keep my work email inbox empty, or at most one page so that I didn’t have to scroll down. Not exactly saving the world or self improvement, but it was manageable and actually helped negate some 2am ‘I forgot to respond I need to do this I need to do that’ anxiety.
So no, resolving to loose 10kgs or to learn a new language are not my sort of goals. Cue 2012: 52 breakfast dates.
When Bradley and I first started dating we would meet every weekend for breakfast at a cafe, roughly half way between his place and mine. Eventually we moved in together and the breakfast dates were maintained while we still both worked in hospitality and had roughly the same working schedule.
Slowly the breakfast dates became fortnightly, then monthly. We would do breakfast at home but really, that’s not so much a date as sitting at the same table.
So enter 2012 and each weekend I plan on going out on a breakfast, brunch or some other food related date, and not doubling up on cafes. 52 different establishments please and thank you. Of course, I can visit the same place twice, but it doesn’t count in the grand scheme of 52. Brunswick can easily accommodate 52 breakfast spots, but I’m hoping for a bit of enthusiasm to venture out to surrounding locales.
1 - A Minor Place - 7th January 2012 - New York style bagel with avocado, dukkah, fresh lemon, cream cheese and roquette.
2 - Milkwood - 15th January 2012 - Sourdough toast with two poached eggs, smoked salmon and avocado smash
3 - Albert St Food & Wine - 28th January 2012 - We actually arrived just past breakfast cut off (boo) so had lunch. Albert St steak tartare, sardines on grilled bread with capers, currants and pine nuts, and the Albert St special - pizza with roasted peppers, pork and fennel sausage and mozzarella. Service started off slow, but became much more attentive. Food was delicious and I would definitely recommend going back and grazing through the menu. The wine store adjacent has a great selection of local and international wines for (I think) very reasonable prices. Definitely one to check out.
Click on the image above for more information care of Broadsheet.
Post with 11 notes
Heading out for my Sunday morning coffee at the (seemingly) respectful time of 11am, I’m struck by an eerie feeling. There is a post dawn haze in my neighborhood; incoming storm clouds obscuring the morning sun.
Birds are chirping in the way they do outside your bedroom window when you’re trying to sleep in. The world feels stuck at 7am; streets are calm and barely a car on the road.
Perhaps I’m walking on autopilot, still in a post sleep daze (though I’ve been awake for hours- a miracle in itself if you know my sleeping habits).
Caffiene is coming, coffee will be here soon. All will be right with the world shortly. The clouds will part, sunlight will come streaming through and breakfast will be served.
So today is the day of the rapture… The weather today is fine, sunny and a hellish 58 degrees Celsius apparently. Repent! For the apocalypse is nigh.
Meh, I might just have a beer instead.
Just had an early dinner at The Spot (cnr Union St and Sydney Road in Brunswick).
The Spot menu has no prices; everything is charged by ‘the time’. So if you go in at 5pm you pay $5, at 6pm $6, 7pm $7 etc.
This applies for everything: pizza, pasta, parmas, steaks etc. Now you obviously ain’t gonna get a 2-Hat meal for this price but for $5 it was a pretty damn tasty parma.
You have to buy a drink with your meal but that still means you get a cheap meal and if you sit outside, you get some sunshine for free.
